Short answer: The New Jersey 5s are the 2026 Major League Pickleball champions. They swept the St. Louis Shock 2–0 in the Finals series in Central Park — and here is the part worth remembering: both matches were decided by a Dreambreaker, the singles tiebreaker MLP uses to settle a level team match. New Jersey won them 22–20 on Saturday and 21–9 on Sunday. Federico Staksrud took Finals MVP, and it is the franchise’s first title after two straight runner-up finishes.
The 30-second version
- Champions: New Jersey 5s, def. St. Louis Shock 2–0 at the DoorDash MLP Finals, Central Park, New York City.
- Both finals matches went to a Dreambreaker — New Jersey won 22–20 (Saturday) and 21–9 (Sunday).
- Finals MVP: Federico Staksrud.
- Anna Leigh Waters won the singles leg of both Dreambreakers (6–4, then 6–2 over Kate Fahey) — the swing that settled it.
- First championship for the 5s after losing the final in 2024 (Dallas Flash) and 2025 (Columbus Sliders).
- Every score below is linked to its source. Where sources disagreed, we left the number out.
If you only remember one thing about the 2026 MLP Finals, make it this: the championship did not come down to a trophy presentation. It came down to a Dreambreaker — twice. New Jersey won both, and the season-long title the franchise had chased for three years finally landed.
Who won the 2026 MLP Finals?
The New Jersey 5s, who beat the St. Louis Shock in both matches of the championship series at the DoorDash MLP Finals in Central Park, as reported by The Dink and independently by The Kitchen.
- Match 1 (Saturday): level after the doubles, decided by a Dreambreaker — New Jersey 22–20.
- Match 2 (Sunday): New Jersey took the Dreambreaker again, 21–9, to clinch the sweep.
MLP’s Finals is a two-match series, so the 5s’ 2–0 result ended it on Sunday. Both matches reaching a Dreambreaker is the rare part — it means each team traded the doubles games evenly and left the title to a single tiebreaker on both days.
What is a Dreambreaker, and why did it decide everything?
The Dreambreaker is MLP’s answer to a tied team match: instead of a fifth doubles game, all four players rotate through singles in one continuous race, and the team ahead when the clock of points runs out wins the whole match. It rewards a roster with a genuine singles weapon — and New Jersey had the best one on the floor.
Anna Leigh Waters won her singles stretch in both Dreambreakers, outscoring St. Louis’s Kate Fahey 6–4 on Saturday and 6–2 on Sunday, per The Dink’s recap. That is the whole ballgame: in a format designed to be chaotic, the best singles player in the world quietly decided it twice. If the format is new to you, start with what Major League Pickleball actually is, then read why a Dreambreaker specialist is the most valuable seat on an MLP roster — this Finals was the case study.
Federico Staksrud, Finals MVP
The 5s named Federico Staksrud their Finals MVP for his play across the weekend — vindication for the mid-season trade we broke down in July. Between Staksrud and Waters, New Jersey had the two singles points a Dreambreaker turns on — and in a series where both matches came down to exactly that, it is why the trophy went to New Jersey and not St. Louis.
Third time was the charm for New Jersey
This title took a while. The 5s reached the Finals in 2024 and lost to the Dallas Flash, then reached it again in 2025 and lost to the Columbus Sliders — both times, per The Dink, winning the opening Dreambreaker and then dropping the next two matches. In 2026 they finally closed it out. For a franchise that had become a byword for almost, a two-match sweep is a decisive way to answer it.
What does this have to do with New England?
MLP’s teams are city-based, and the Northeast’s entries — New Jersey and Brooklyn — are the closest thing a New England fan has to a home side, so a New Jersey title is the region’s title by proximity. More practically: MLP’s season is now over until spring 2027, so this is the last big team-pickleball story of the year. If you are catching up on where the pro game stands, our MLP & PPA hub keeps the standings and results, the 2026 playoffs page has the full bracket, and the players-to-know guide is the fastest way to learn the names before next season. Ready to play rather than watch? The New England tournament calendar is where your fall goes.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2026 MLP championship?
The New Jersey 5s, who defeated the St. Louis Shock 2–0 in the 2026 Major League Pickleball Finals in Central Park, New York City. Both matches were decided by a Dreambreaker.
What is a Dreambreaker in MLP?
It is the tiebreaker used when an MLP team match is level after the doubles games: all four players rotate through singles in one continuous race, and the team ahead at the finish wins the match.
Who was the 2026 MLP Finals MVP?
Federico Staksrud of the New Jersey 5s.
Where were the 2026 MLP Finals held?
At the DoorDash MLP Finals in Central Park, New York City, with the championship series decided across Saturday and Sunday.
Written by Jason Regan, USA Pickleball ambassador and founder of Regan Family Pickleball. More tour coverage in the Pro Corner.